


Birthday Surprises

by APastandFutureNerd



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Kink, Bottom Hannibal, Bottom Will, But under-negotiated kinks, Choking Kink, Completely unrealistic I know, Consensual Sex, Crack, Doctor Kink, Dog sniffing kink, Dogs sniffing at Will‘s crotch, Don’t copy to another site, Fluff and Smut, Fluff without Plot, Food Kink, Hannibal is the Chesapeake Ripper, Hannigram - Freeform, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Improvised Knifeplay, Kinky Hannibal Lecter, Kinky Will Graham, M/M, Murder Fantasy, Not Beta Read, Or rather tea cup shards play, Porn Without Plot, Sappy, Sappy Ending, Top Hannibal, Top Will, Will Graham Knows, Will Graham is a Tease, murder boys, no encephalitis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-12 20:32:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20570450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APastandFutureNerd/pseuds/APastandFutureNerd
Summary: It’s Will’s birthday and he has taken a day off. He doesn’t expect anyone to visit him but then his psychiatrist shows up at his door and surprises him with a cake. Will surprises him with a birthday wish and a revelation, Dr. Lecter has not anticipated, leading to unexpected developments in their relationship.





	1. Hors d’oeuvre (Appetizer)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UnknownMusing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknownMusing/gifts), [DaringD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaringD/gifts), [CassieRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassieRaven/gifts), [Nicestofthedamned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicestofthedamned/gifts).

> Disclaimer:
> 
> I do not own these characters. They belong to Thomas Harris and the creators of the TV show.
> 
> ———————————————————
> 
> Hello!
> 
> This fic was born on my birthday some days ago and I figured it would be too long for an oneshot.
> 
> This story will have three chapters at maximum and a short epilogue.They follow the structure of a three-coursed meal. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will enjoys his day off with his dogs.Dr. Lecter drops by unannounced and surprises Will with a self-made cake. Will surprises his psychiatrist in his own way..

Will was cleaning the fur of his dogs and drying them with a towel and a hair dryer until they were somewhat clean again. They had been romping in the snow-covered field outdoors. But under the slowly melting snow, the earth was wet. The dogs brought a huge amount of dirt and mud with them into his living room which he didn’t like at all. Even though he was aware it was a pointless action to clean them every time, he still did it. Dogs usually didn't require to be rinsed so thoroughly - a bath once or twice a week would suffice.But next to keeping his living room dry, clean and cozy for himself and unplanned visits, he loved spoiling his furry friends this way and give them his affection.

He stretched his limps after doing his task, inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of absolute freedom, the quietness of his surroundings, the sounds of nature and the peace he had gained at least for one day.

Today was his birthday but Will had only taken a day off on his birthday to recover from the gruesome crime scenes he was subjected to so often and take care of household chores instead of celebrating. Jack had made an exception although they had discovered another victim of the Chesapeake Ripper yesterday, poorly disguised as one of the Minnesota Shrike’s kills. He didn’t invite anyone as he needed a break from all the noise and human interactions. He had also ignored the messages of Bev, Margot and Alana who wished him all the best and asked him whether they could do anything for him.The only person that had not congratulated him yet was Dr. Hannibal Lecter but Will had not even bothered to tell him it was his birthday and just cancelled his appointment, figuring that he would find out himself. Will pouted when he had to think about his psychiatrist he considered a friend. It kind of hurt but he pretended it didn’t. After all it was his own fault and he would surely be busy with his patients today.

He cuddled with his dogs on the floor in front of the fireplace. Winston, Buster, Zoe, Ellie and Jack whined, purred and nosed his belly with their snouts. Harley meanwhile licked his cheek with her rough, sticky tongue. Will laughed as the rough tongue tickled him. He granted them all a loving look when he ruffled through their soft fur. Dogs were always loyal - they never caused drama or never questioned him. They were the best company to have. Why should he make the hustle and throw a huge party with people he did not even feel particularly close with? Except for Bev, Alana and her fiancée Margot perhaps. Brian and Jimmy were not his close friends - especially Brian behaved like a dick towards him sometimes and he did not need that kind of energy today.

Or Dr. Lecter... When his thoughts drifted away to his psychiatrist and he watched his sensual movements of the jaw in his mind palace while he savoured the piece of meat during their last dinner with Jack, his cock hardened, bulged and heat flowed through his body.With all his efforts, he shook it off. These were not appropriate thoughts. Especially when the man didn’t think of him as someone worthy enough to congratulate.

Winston, noticing his arousal and smelling the pheromones, sniffed at his crotch, poking his snout against the large bulge. Will laughed as the dog’s nose found his dick. His cheeks grew hot and he shoved him away with his hand. “Naughty boy, Winston”, Will said, raising his eyebrows. The golden retriever looked at him with his big brown innocent eyes as if he hadn't done anything wrong. ”I’m sorry but there's nothing for you down there.” Will petted his head. But in secret he had given it some thought in his fantasies at night, long before Dr. Lecter had appeared in his life.

At some point boredom crept in even though he loved the solitude with his dogs. He stared into space without taking in his surroundings. Minutes passed by and he dat there doing nothing.Not even fixing boat motors was appealing to him. He rubbed his neck absentmindedly. It was unusual to not run around at crime scenes or grade abhorrent papers on criminal psychology. If he was completely honest with himself, he admitted that he would have loved a visit or a conjoint lunch or dinner with some people.

Will rose from the wooden floor and walked into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He looked at his watch. It was not even midday yet and it was Wednesday - it would be stupid to ask anyone whether they would come around. Everyone had to work. Bev was at the forensic lab, Alana at the academy, Brian and Jimmy, his drinking buddies, were equally busy. Maybe tonight. He considered answering to their kind messages.

When he had made the coffee he retreated to the living room and looked at the work table with his fishing lures. An idea crossed his mind. He would spend the day ice-fishing and maybe he would message Bev, Margot, Alana and the rest of the crew in the evening for a spontaneous dinner in a fancy steak house.

His thoughts strayed to his unofficial therapist. If he invited Dr. Lecter, the man would rather throw him a dinner party than joining them at a mediocre restaurant of his choice, Will was absolutely sure of that. But he wasn’t in the mood of haute cuisine human meat today and decided not to invite him. 

Will finished his coffee, got up and worked around at the table with the fishing lures for a while. His phone, lying on the night stand, buzzed as someone called or messaged him again, but he was so deeply immersed in tying the hairs to the lures and preparing the rods afterwards he didn’t react. 

Some hours later when he had returned from the still frozen lake, eviscerated and stored away the few trouts he had caught in his freezer and cleaned his table and knives, a familiar-looking limousine pulled up in front of his house. The subtle purring of the motor immediately told Will who it was. The dogs barked, wagged their tails in anticipation and ran towards the door. Will joined them and unlocked it to receive his visitor.

Dr. Lecter looked as posh as ever with his perfectly tailored black winter coat that just ended above his knees and accentuated his body nicely, his slick ash blonde hair combed to the side and his warm grey cashmere scarf.

Will blinked in surprise and ruffled through his hair. The embarrassment painted his cheeks in a light shade of pink. He had not expected his psychiatrist to appear at his doorstep on his birthday. Will watched him get out of the car in in a graceful way, walk to the back of his Bentley and retrieve something that looked like a cake hidden beneath its intransparent bell cover.

“Hello Dr. Lecter”, Will greeted him in astonishment, furrowing his eyebrows in disbelief. “I didn’t expect you to come here at all. What a pleasant surprise.“

“Hello Will”, Dr. Lecter replied with a faint smile on his lips as he walked towards him holding the big cover bell in his hands. “I’ve heard from Alana it’s your birthday and so I decided to come around and congratulate you in person.”

Will pressed his lips together at that remark and made a mental note to scold Alana for betraying him and blabbing out details he usually kept to himself although another part was also pretty grateful. He had been truly bored after all in the last hours.

Dr. Lecter discovered the sceptical look on his face and quick added: “I didn’t ask Alana, she told me that herself.”

“Ah”, Will replied to that and bestowed him with a crooked smile. “She didn’t want me to sour here on my own, I guess?” He stated in a scoffing, derogatory tone, his lips twitching.

Dr. Lecter seemed to be a little irritated at his dismissive tone, wrinkled his forehead but decided to ignore it and smiled instead.

“I think, Alana and Margot were worried that you wouldn’t answer their messages and I thought I should come and look after you“, Dr. Lecter replied. Will nodded slowly, then sighed, stemming his hands on his hips.

The dogs were playing and running around in the snow again, chasing after each other, barking loudly and making themselves dirty. Will only shook his head and let them be for now. Dr. Lecter was still holding the cake bell in his hand and glared at Will in expectation. Will noticed that he was being in polite and gestured him with his hands to follow him into the house. 

“Sorry”, Will apologised with a laugh. “It’s just that I’ve cleaned the dogs a few hours ago and now they’re playing in the snow again. I was distracted.”

“I’ve noticed”, Dr. Lecter retorted, smiling again. “No harm done. Where should I put it?” He looked around the room and noticed there was no table with free space in the living room at all. The only small table in the corner of the room was cramped with Will’s fishing gear and boat motor tools and was very dirty.

“Just put it on the kitchen counter. “ Will advised him. The psychiatrist followed his instruction and placed the cake bell on the kitchen table.

“Thank you very much for coming over”, Will said, watching how Dr Lecter carefully removed the lid of the cake bell, careful not to destroy the topping. “I thought you were busy with Jack and the forensic team at the crimes scene or with your patients.” Dr. Lecter chuckled. “I’ve navigated myself out of Jack’s hands by telling him I’m busy with patients who can’t be rescheduled.” He looked up at Will in amusement and said. “Which I have rescheduled of course.”

“That’s very clever”, Will answered with another chuckle, while admiring the extremely delicious looking cake with lots of whipped cream on top. For some reason, the sight of the whipped cream made his cock twitch, grow even harder and he backed away, turning around to hide the dent in his pants. He tried to hide his erection at all costs.This was not allowed to happen, he told himself. Dr. Lecter was his fucking psychiatrist and he was his patient.

“This cake looks very delicious, Doctor. But I can’t eat that whole cake on my own,” Will said instead to break the silence. “What is it?”

”I thought you might share it with Alana, Margot and Miss Katz in the evening”, he suggested.

”True”, Will responded with a nod. “Good idea.” 

“And the cake is called “Black Forest Cake”, the psychiatrist explained, leaning against the counter after removing the cake bell. “Or, as they say, _ "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.”_A German speciality consisting of - dark chocolate sponge cake, layers of whipped cream and cherries soaked in Kirschwasser. It dates back to the 1930s and it’s one of the most famous cakes all over the world.”

“Ah”, Will managed to say. “Very enlightening. You’re better than me in such things”, he said with a sly smile. “I don’t have the mind for such details. Anyway, I’m already hungry. Can’t wait to try it.”

Dr. Lecter granted him a satisfied smile at the compliment while his dark maroon eyes were fixed on him. “You do possess the mind, Will, you just focus on other things”, he assessed.

“That’s true”, Will sighed. He grimaced and unpleasant memories of the crime scene with the girl gored on the stag antlers crept back into his mind, causing him to shudder. 

“But today I want you to focus on something completely different, Will and not on crime scenes”, Dr. Lecter replied in his smooth, thickly accentuated voice. He looked around in his kitchen, searching for something. “Will, where do you keep your plates and knives?” The psychiatrist asked politely.

“Oh, sorry. I’ll take care of it.” Will countered with a faint smile and turned around to approach the drawers and the shelves.

“No need to, Will. Just show me”,Dr. Lecter prompted. For a moment Dr. Lecter gripped his hand to pull him back and Will felt his pulse race as if he had ran a marathon. His breathing grew heavier at the gentle touch of his hand. A short moment of awkward silence followed but the psychiatrist, though smiling in amusement, or Will thought he was, pretended as if nothing was wrong or happened.

“I insist you sit down and relax, Will”, Hannibal prompted him. “I’ll take care of everything.” 

“Okay, if you wish, I won’t keep you from doing that”, Will relented with a sigh and settled on his bed, being the only furniture to sit on. The only free armchair was reserved for Hannibal. “The knives are in that drawer”, he pointed with his fingers at the green drawer next to the sink. “The plates are over there.” Will then pointed his finger to the shelf on the top left corner, just above Hannibal’s head.

“Thank you”, Dr. Lecter replied and he opened the shelf to fetch two plates.

“Oh,fuck, I should make some coffee”, Will remembered and got up again to go to his coffee machine. 

“No need to”, Dr. Lecter replied, wrinkling his nose at his cuss. “I have brought homemade coffee with me in a thermos flask. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Will laughed in surprise and raised his eyebrows. “Wow, you’ve thought of everything.” 

The dogs came running through the door, accompanying the elegant man when he returned with the thermos flask.They made everything dirty once more. Stains of dirt appeared everywhere on the rug he had washed and brushed with dedication. Will sighed in frustration. “Winston, Buster, Zoe, Jack...you’re impossible ”, he scolded them, shaking his head when he approached his canines who wore a rather innocent look while they walked through his living room leaving muddy and wet trails all over the floor again.He ruffled through the fur of his companions. “Don’t do that”, Will warned his dogs who were sniffing in curiosity at the coat of Dr. Lecter, hanging on the improvised rack next to the door. “Hey”, he called in a loud and harsh voice. “I said no”. They yelped and backed away, pressing their ears against their heads.

Dr. Lecter chuckled in the kitchen at hearing Will chastising his companions for getting too close to his woollen coat. “Your canine friends are curious. They want to know who intrudes your home and to collect information. It is just a natural response. Dogs have an excellent sense of smell which tells them everything I need to know.”

Will grimaced. “Yeah, I know that, but I don’t want them to ruin your coat. It was surely expensive and I am not sure if my salary covers that.”

“Indeed, but I am optimistic, your companions are obedient”, Dr. Lecter answered.”Besides I have a treat for them. Some homemade sausages.This is what they probably smell.”

Will snorted at that. ”Oh, now I know. Thanks but I am not sure if they deserve it right now. But may I keep them for later when they behave?”

”Of course”, his guest answered. “You can take them out of my pocket and put them into the fridge. They will last some days. I vacuumed them.”

Will flung a smile at him and emptied the pockets. His smile disappeared when he looked at the sausages in the vacuum wrapping.He suspected they would be human meat from Marissa Schurr but he didn’t give a particular shit today. Dr. Lecter was his only friend and he’d hate to lose and betray him.

He whistled sharply when Buster who had secretly gone back again, poked around in the pockets of his coat with his muddy snout.

The agent put down the package, fetched Buster and placed him in his dog bed. “No treat for you ”, Will declared warningly. Buster only gnarled in defiance . “That goes for all of you.” He threatened the dogs. “On the floor with you. Sit down.Now. Be good and you will get the sausage later.”

He returned to retrieve the package from the floor. The dogs obeyed and curled up on their fluffy dog beds, knowing their owner way too well. 

Dr. Lecter returned from the kitchen and handed Will a large piece of cake and a cup of coffee while he stood in the middle of the room with his own plate, making sure he didn’t step on any of them.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a table here in the living room.” Will apologised with a sheepish smile.

“It would be convenient to have one, I do agree. But I can adjust”, the psychiatrist remarked with a chuckle. “Do you mind if I sit next to you”, Dr. Lecter asked,politely, watching Will for a reaction.

Will’s hands trembled a little. He was not sure if this was a subtle advance or if he interpreted too much into the situation but he tried to act normal, hide his shaking hands and placed them in front of his hard cock.

“But of course, Dr. Lecter”, Will said, avoiding his gaze and made some space for him at the edge of his blue mattress.

Dr. Lecter sat down next to him but was careful not to destroy the polite distance between them.

“Enjoy your cake”, Dr. Lecter purred as Will hesitated to eat at first. 

“Oh, yeah, sure”, Will answered and loaded a piece of the cream cake on his fork. He set the cup of coffee down on the floor and grabbed the plate from his knees.

He took a bite and let the cake melt in his mouth. The combination of the dark, soft sponge cake combined with the cherries soaked in alcohol, the whipped cream and the chocolate sprinkles on top tasted heavenly.He closed his eyes to savour the taste. Lewd moans escaped from his mouth.

“Yes...focus on the taste of the cake..how it melts on your tongue. Savour the treat”, Dr. Lecter suggested in a purring voice, watching him with fond and glowing eyes.

“Oh, Doctor...it’s really amazing”, Will said, while swallowing the piece down and grabbed another. He even licked the fork clean and kept his eyes shut.

When Will noticed that his psychiatrist stared at him with his intense eyes and actually revelled in watching him eating, he avoided his gaze and fixed the dogs instead for a minute.

“Do you often take pleasure in watching people eat, Doctor Lecter?” 

Dr. Lecter gazed at him in amusement. “I especially like to watch you eat, Will.” He said, before placing another bite in his own mouth himself.

“There’s nothing special about me eating.” Will remarked, shrugging his shoulders. He stared at the jaw of his guest which slowly moved as he chewed the piece of cake. Will saw his Adam’s apple bobbing when he swallowed it down.

“On the contrary, Will”, he said, shifting his body a little bit closer. “I like it very much. The sounds you make are very sensual and fascinating.”

The room seemed to brim like a cup with the unspoken and unresolved tension in the air but Will chose not to act on it, wondering whether his psychiatrist was just teasing him or wanted more. He would let the conversation flow naturally and not force himself on his guest.They ate the rest of the cake in silence and sipped from their coffee. 

“Will”, Dr. Lecter finally broke the silence after a while “You haven’t told me what you would like to have as a birthday present.”

“I think your presence and your cake already are already a gift”, Will countered. 

“And besides, aren’t presents between patient and psychiatrist rather unprofessional?” Will inquired, furrowing his eyebrows in scepticism once more. “If Jack or Alana know, it’s all over for you.”

Dr. Lecter considered his comment for moment. “I think it’s less unprofessional than a personal visit on your birthday.” He countered, not without an amused look in his face.

“True”, Will answered. “This is a very unorthodox from of therapy.” 

“Indeed. But I would rather call it a friendly visit.” Dr. Lecter suggested and let his maroon eyes wander over his body.

Will laughed again, noticing the not-so-subtle stare from the corner of his eyes but still didn’t act on it. He was curious what the psychiatrist would do if he didn’t act.

“So tell me after you have avoided the topic of presents. How would you love to spend your day? What is your greatest birthday wish? I want you to feel good and relaxed, today, Will.“ 

Dr. Lecter dragged himself closer and the cologne of him clouded Will’s mind. It was getting harder for Will to suppress his arousal. They were sitting so close to each other, he figure it really didn’t matter anyway. The way Lecter looked at him told him he was not alone with his feelings and he had gotten aware of the tension.

“Thank you. I just have one wish”, Will retorted with a quiet chuckle and looked away, playing with the cup in his hands.“It would certainly help me to vent off some steam.”

Dr. Lecter leaned further towards him. A shadow of excitement and curiosity rushed over his stoic face for a moment. “Tell me, Will.”

He shifted his gaze back from the cup and held the intense eye contact for some seconds. 

“I’m not sure if you truly want to know, Dr. Lecter”, Will answered, teasing again. “This would be entirely unprofessional.”

“I’m all ears, Will.” He drew closer to him until their thighs brushed against each other and there was barely any space between them.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of”, he ensured him in his warm, honeyed voice.

”Oh, I’m not ashamed. But you will be surprised, Doctor.” Will raised his eyebrows.

“Surprise me, then.” 

“I want to have sex with you..with the Chesapeake Ripper ”, Will openly admitted with a twisted, amused smile coiled on his lips and curiosity in his blue-green eyes, flickering over his visitor’s face. He raised the cup to his lips, took a large sip of the tepid coffee and enjoyed the effect he had caused with his revelation.

Dr. Lecter’s coffee mug, meanwhile, slipped out of his hands, dropped to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces with a loud clash and the usual so self-composed man lost his stoic expression. A mixture of shock, astonishment, joy and murderous intentions fought for space on his face before a tiny, admiring smile graced his lips and reached his eyes. The dogs woke up from the loud noise, barked and gnarled in disapproval and annoyance but Will silenced them with a whistle and his calming voice before he turned his smug face back to the disclosed serial killer who still didn't make a move and looked as if he had been paralyzed.

[](https://imgbb.com/)


	2. Entrée (Main course)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Lecter is glad to satisfy his desires after the initial shock and they agree to have some things but he insists on trying out some kinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I switched from Dr. Lecter to Hannibal because they get more familiar with each other. 
> 
> Warning: Not really negotiated kinks but consensual sex (if that makes any sense!)

When the first shock had passed through his nervous system and abandoned the branch of neurons in his complex brain, Dr.Lecter came back to his senses. With a quick movement, he stood up from the bed, straightening his body until he reached full height. His face was an impenetrable, unreadable wall again, hiding the emotions deep inside him once more. Standing there in front of Will who showed no reaction of fear on the outside, he was looking menacing but still remained silent for now. Will guessed the cannibal was currently considering to kill him right there when he glanced into the cold, maroon eyes filled with a hungry and wanton gleam. And he was also probably thinking about the recipe he would want to create from his flesh.

Yet Will hoped he was convincing and persuading enough to restrain the predator in Dr. Lecter from murdering him. Being killed on his birthday was not something he yearned for. He stood up as well, in order to defend himself, should things go rather wrong.

The dogs were watching them both with straightened ears as they perceived the changed atmosphere and attentive eyes were fixed on the stranger. Some of his companions were fletching their teeth, growling and bringing themselves into a position to attack, lowering their upper bodies as if wanting to go and run.

Will was certain they would help, being territorial and loyal. He relaxed a little, feeling self-assured that nothing would happen The thought of the dogs tearing Dr. Lecter into pieces of flesh and bones to defend him flashed through his mind and he imagined him lying on the floor, gasping, writhing in pain as the blood gushed out of his wounds, being torn apart by the furious canine. He was just standing there, indifferent and watching him bleed out until he stopped moving...

Dr. Lecter gawked at him and smiled this time a little as if knowing what he was thinking. Will blinked and tore himself from these thoughts and brought himself back to reality. He knew he should say something at last.

" I've known your little secret for quite a while, Doctor", Will finally broke the tense, thick silence with raised eyebrows, his heart thrumming in his chest."It was kind of obvious, you know? Your past as surgeon...you being the emergency surgeon on duty at John Hopkins when the man with the hunting accident you killed some time ago had been treated before." 

"I was not the only surgeon", Dr. Lecter countered in a cool tone. "Dr. Chilton assisted me. Have you considered the possibility of wrongly accusing me, Will?"

Will rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement. "Freddie Lounds told me that Dr. Chilton had been the most atrocious surgeon in the whole hospital according to her sources, his colleagues."

"I have to agree", Dr. Lecter answered smoothly, accepting his arguments. His lipstick curled into an amused smile at Will's mention of his colleague's pathetic surgical skills. His facial expression softened into an admiring one.He was clearly impressed. "Frederick caused us a lot of trouble. It seems that I was too careless. You are a clever boy."

"Yes, you were too cocky, Doctor", Will answered, trying to keep his voice and hands as steady as the tension and thrill about the outcome of this potentially deadly revelation infected his body like a virus.

Dr. Lecter took two steps towards him. He stood so close to Will that his warm breath tickled the agent's face. Will noticed he smelled of coffee, cake and a little bit of mint. "And is it safe with you, Will?"Dr. Lecter inquired to reassure himself. He laid his hands on his shoulders. One hand slowly wandered up and squeezed around Will's neck. "Before I hand you your gift you have deserved, I need to know what to do with you." He spoke in a creepy whisper.

The dogs gnarled, coming closer and Winston pushed himself between the legs of the men, anxious about Dr. Lecter throttling his owner. Will looked down with a warm, fond expression in his blue eyes."Winston", Will cooed him. "It's fine. I got it." 

When the retriever didn't react, he said in a harsher voice "Off you go. I got it." The retriever growled again. Dr. Lecter granted the retriever a little predatory smile and Winston retreated to the dogs sitting half a metre away from them but he stayed close and alert. He, as the leader of the pack, sat in front of them, ready to command any time.

"You should have given them the treat", Will sighed.

"The outcome is the same. They're very protective of you. I am sure you have calculated with their behaviour when you revealed your knowledge to me", Dr. Lecter said.

"Yes, I did", Will admitted, drinking in from the dark pools, unable to move from his spot, letting the killer's hands rest around his throat.

"Very good", Dr. Lecter remarked and smiled again, admiring Will in reverence before his demeanour changed again as worry crept over his face and the hands tightened their grip.

"One last question. Do I have to worry about you giving me to Jack?" He inquired with a dark, threatening tone in his voice and a gleam in his eyes. His hands were slowly closing around Will's throat, feeling the movements of his Adam's Apple with his thumb as Will swallowed.

Will, though he had never expected to actually like being choked , felt his hard cock pressing uncomfortably against the front of his jeans. The doctor seemed to be aroused as well for Will recognised a bulge forming in his black slacks. He lingered there, trusting his adversary to not kill him even as the pressure of his handsome increased and his heart thrummed fast, desperately trying to pump more oxygen into his brain. 

"It's ...safe ...with me, Doctor, of course", Will breathed and tugged impatiently at the doctor's waistcoat, despite being choked by Dr. Lecter’s fine hands. With quick fingers, he started to open the buttons of the waistcoat before moving on to the blue shirt underneath. "I'm fine with that. I could have told Jack that I knew who the Ripper is a long time ago. I love your food and don't want to miss it", Will managed to get out. "I was just... curious what would happen."

"You astonished me, Will", he responded with an admiring glow in his eyes, finally loosening the grip around his throat and cupped his cheeks instead. Will inhaled deeply and his heartbeat slowed down as the oxygen started to circulate Dr. Lecter’s thumbs were brushing both of his flushed cheeks with gentle strokes. "I was not able to predict you."

"I have expected a lot more from you, Doctor", Will grinned and proceeded to peel off the vest. Dr. Lecter didn't stop him and helped him removing the shirt. Before long, the broad, muscular chest with silver grey hair was exposed and Will held his breath at the sight of the pectoral muscles.

"Is it a kink of yours to call me Doctor instead of using my first name ?" Dr. Lecter purred while he undid the buttons of Will with a murderous lust and greed in his eyes. His hands were equally quick and not even half a minute later the right khaki shirt was tossed to the floor amidst the mess of coffee and shards.

"Oh yes, I really like calling you that ", Will whispered. "But I appreciate your name, too, Hannibal." The last word escaped him in a wanton, breathy voice.

Hannibal chuckled and revealed his teeth which then scraped along Will's cheeks before landing on his throat . "Please do", he purred against his skin.

His hands moved along the smooth, beautiful chest of Will who quivered under the sensual touches of the dangerous serial killer. 

Will was fascinated by the tenderness of the cannibal in disguise who usually butchered his victims in the most cold-blooded brutality he had ever reconstructed in his career. He was amazed at how caring and loving he behaved right now and wondered when it would turn into the exact opposite. His stomach cramped at the idea but he decided to go along with the dangerous dance. 

Hannibal stopped sinking his teeth into his throat and brought his face back up to him. Will looked at the thin lips disguising the teeth that had chewed on so many victims in his life, the predator tools that held the power over life and death.

Uncontrolled longing seized Will as the lips of the predator met his own after lingering on his throat for too long as if tempted to tear a piece out of him but resisted the urge. A haze invaded his mind, making him react like he was set on autopilot. He inadvertently tossed his own empty plate and cup from the bed to the floor. Another earth-shattering sound reverberated in the room but this time he didn't bother. The dogs growled and barked but Will ignored them. Winston bolted upright and soon the whole pack was standing in front of the bed, curious and agitated when they smelled the scent of sex.

"It's fine, guys", Will called to the dogs and let himself be pulled on the mattress. Hannibal hovered above him, panting and looking at him with the same want and need in his dark eyes as before. 

He kissed him again in a violent and savage way, shoving his tongue with a feral roughness into his mouth that surprised his lover but turned him on even more. Will moaned and groaned. This wild, feral side of Hannibal was exactly what he needed.

He encouraged him and returned the intrusion into his mouth by forcefully pushing his tongue back before Hannibal retreated and nudged Will into the mattress on the rather unstable slatted frame, creaking under the movements and the weight of the two men. 

Hannibal withdrew his lips as he noticed that Will had bitten into his tongue and licked the drops of blood away, playfully and defiant. Wil peeked up with a stare that clearly invited him to continue.

"I assume I have your permission , Will?" He asked him, while straddling Will's hips and pressing him down to the bed with the weight of his body.

Will let out a breathy laugh. "Since when does the Chesapeake Ripper need permission?" He retorted but earned a dark glare."Do you always ask your victims before you kill them?" Will joked and grinned. 

"Be careful what you wish for, Will", the doctor threatened in his smooth, cool voice while his hands reached out for Will's throat again. 

Will's eyes widened and his pupils dilated when the hands carefully throttled him again, choking the air out of him. Will relented.

"You like that, huh?" Hannibal breathed into his ear. "It arouses you to be at the mercy of a serial killer, hm?” 

Will nodded and slightly gulped out a quiet "Yes".

Hannibal snarled and made short work of Will's trousers and boxers with rough hands, never breaking eye contact with Will even once. 

From the other side of the bed, the dogs raised their head and watched them, wagging their tails, their ears alert.They registered every movement, every noise and every emotion between Hannibal and Will.

"I'm fine, Winston", Will quickly called to his loyal furry friend who growled and held a grudge against Hannibal who treated Will rather roughly in his opinion. "Just keep away from the shards", Will warned the retriever and shoved him away.

When Will was completely nude, Hannibal took his time and simply glanced at his body for some seconds with unconcealed lust.

Will frowned. "You're looking as if you are worshipping me. Come on and fuck me already."

The cheek and playful remark earned him a spanking on the head of his cock and on his thighs which caused Will to moan obscenely and gasp out in pain.

"Don't tell me what to do, Will." Hannibal declared with a chill look in his eyes.

Will mocked him and feigned an innocent, remorseful look. "I'm sorry."

Hannibal narrowed his eyes.He squeezed the head of his engorged cock with his hand and licked the drops of his precum away. 

"Oh, Will. What have you gotten yourself into", Hannibal murmured while he slowly opened the fly of his slacks and removed them together with the tight black briefs.

"I think I know that pretty well", Will moaned and started to stroke himself when he saw Hannibal nude for the first time - his whole athletic body a splendid view. But Hannibal beat his hands away as he witnessed Will trying to relieve himself.

Another slap on his cock followed. Will pouted his lips a little bit, playing the bratty boy. Hannibal leaned forward and lowered his upper body above Will once more and choked him again, this time a little bit harder but careful enough not to exaggerate it and render him unconscious.

"Be good for me, Will and I might let you live." Hannibal threatened in a creepy tone but not quite serious as a dark, amused smirk flickered over his face.

Will was aware of that fact and merely sneered. "What would you do without me, anyway, Doctor? No mouse to play with", he panted, gasping for air when Hannibal had choked him again.

Hannibal licked his lips and hummed. "The world would indeed be boring without you and your fascinating mind, I agree."

"See?" Will answered teasingly, nearly triumphant.

"But that doesn't mean I cannot punish you a little bit", Hannibal countered and pulled Will up, gripping a strain of his curls rather harshly, causing Will to whimper in pain. He then turned Will around with violent, rough hands until he lay flat on his belly. Will grunted as he was being manhandled.

"If you could push your lovely bottom up, please." Hannibal ordered him with his commanding voice and Will complied.

"You said you wanted to have sex with the Chesapeake Ripper", Hannibal added, when he observed how Will grimaced in pain at being treated in a rough way. "But don't expect me to be gentle."

"I don't want you to." Will breathed back. "Just get your dick in and fuck my brain out of me."

Hannibal wrinkled his forehead. "No, Will. I'm not taking any risks. Condoms and lube, please. You surely have some supplies."

Will mumbled something and rummaged in the drawer of the tiny wooden night stand on the left. Hannibal gave him enough space to move and waited patiently. It took a minute before he presented a slightly dusty package of condoms and a bottle of lube which looked as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

Hannibal wrinkled his nose but he had to use the suppliants available as he had not expected this situation at all despite his teasing. He had not expected Will to react like that.

Will handed him the box. He opened it, took out a condom out of the package, put it on his dick, smearing a generous amount of lube on his fingers before he wrapped them around his cock and spread the liquid.

When he still did not experience the sensation of Hannibal breaching into his entrance, Will wiggled his ass, growing impatient with every minute. "Come on, Hannibal, don't behave like an old man. Fuck me."

Hearing this rude and daring command, Hannibal stopped in annoyance, let his cock be for the moment and hit his cheeks very hard with the palm of his flat hand. He pinched the smooth skin with his fingers, causing Will to let out a pained moan at the painful sensation.

"I see you need to be disciplined a little before you deserve my present", Hannibal assessed calmy. "I have the perfect idea.” 

Hannibal peeked to the floor where the shards of the teacups and Will's plate were scattered. He removed himself from his position and grabbed one of them, stroking along the sharp edge until he cut himself. They were sharp, to his satisfaction. A drop of bright red blood dropped from his finger and he licked it off.

Will flung a curious glance over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" He asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion. But it soon dawned on him when geb saw him picking up the shards.

"Ah, knifeplay", he answered it himself with an amused but curious tone in his voice. "I should have known."

"Yes, although I would rather phrase it shards play to be more accurate", Hannibal smirked. "You wanted the Ripper, Will. Blood has to be spilled." He paused when he examined Will's body and discovered goose bumps on his skin. His tiny white hair on his arms stood upright.

"Are you scared?" Hannibal asked in a smooth, detached voice, while he wielded the sharp broken piece in his hands before he bent forward and adjusted Will, lowering his bottom, straddling his legs further and prompting Will to elevate his upper body.

"I wouldn't say scared..", Will muttered while he elevated his upper body until he stood on all fours."I am curious."

He shifted his gaze to Hannibal again. "If you need a sharp knife, I have some of them in the kitchen. I just gutted my trouts with them some hours ago but they should be clean."

"No, Will. It's fine.This will do for now." Hannibal remarked calmly while he sank the shard of the mug into his skin. "I don't want to let you bleed out." He paused. “Unless you give me a reason to”, he added in a dark, creepy whisper.

Will chuckled. "It's funny to hear that from a serial killer, you know?"

Hannibal smirked again and slapped his ass when Will was moving too much, swaying back and forth. "This is what you do to me, Will."

"Please stop moving or I am tempted to get the knives“, Hannibal commanded in his authoritarian voice.

Will obeyed and tried to hold his position, holding still as well as he could.

"Good boy", Hannibal purred, content with his obedience.

He started to cut into Will's lower back, just inches above his butt. The shards plunged into the first layer of his soft skin and Will gasped, trembling and twitching under Hannibal's hands. Goose bumps appeared on the skin as the cold shard touched it.

"Don't worry, Will", Hannibal reassured him. "I am able to control myself. I will not harm you. Just want to give you a little taste of what you have manoeuvred yourself into."

"I trust you", Will purred back. " I was just surprised but please continue. I do like that feeling."

His lover smirked. One hand petted his lovely shaped, flat ass, squeezed the firm flesh, while the other hand sank into the skin, eliciting more groans and gasps. With a steady and controlled hand, Hannibal led the broken shard further back up, intending to carve a heart into his back. He smiled as the crimson blood seeped out of the wound. The cuts were not deep, only superficial.

"Are you cutting a heart into me?" Will asked, curious, still panting, trying to keep still and not flinch under Hannibal‘s cuts.

"Good guess", Hannibal replied with a smirk. "Yes, I'm drawing a heart on your back."

Will let out another content purr.

"I thought you were going to do worse things do me." Will said in between, sounding as if he was a little disappointed with his murderous killer.

"I was considering to consume you for some seconds before",Hannibal admitted.

"Alive?" 

He stilled his movements, stopped wielding the shard and contemplated before giving an answer.

"Yes...I would have consumed you alive", Hannibal admitted. "I would have sedated you, brought you back to my home where I would strap you to the chair. “ He paused.

“And then?” Will breathed.

“I would have cut off your arms first, before feasting on your legs. Your organs would be saved for last."

Will moaned out loudly at the description of his murderous fantasy. "Oh, God, Hannibal.."

"I would eat your heart raw", Hannibal whispered, which elicited another lecherous moan from his pink lips. “Cut it out from your chest and consume it while it is still warm and fresh.”

Hannibal was impressed and as aroused as he hadn't been in a long time. He had been right about the darker side of Will. "Does that thought of me consuming you really turn you on, Will?" He whispered, while he finished drawing the heart and admired the bloody work on his back.

It wouldn't leave a deep scar but be visible if one looked closely. He considered carving his initials into it but he hesitated. They were still not in a relationship and if Will changed his mind, it would raise uncomfortable questions and leave evidence. So Hannibal merely wiped away the blood drops with his tongue, causing Will to shudder at the sensation of the tongue licking away the blood.

Hannibal then cupped his cheeks again before he added another layer of lube on his cock, pumping it with a few strokes. Before long his cock circled the entrance and Will moaned, moving his ass back eagerly and in impatience.

"Go on, Doctor." Will demanded, licking his lips. “I want to hear more of your sick fantasies.”

"I would have baked your arms and legs in succulent clay. Your flesh would be slow-cooked to perfection. Nothing of you would go to waste. I would have honoured your flesh, your organs and feasted on it for years, saving it for the special occasions. I’d use only my best recipes.”

Will gasped again and reached for his dark pink leaking cock,but Hannibal slapped his hand away once more. 

"No, Will." Hannibal said harshly. "Or I will end up cooking you after all."

Will chuckled. “I doubt that, doctor.”

Hannibal merely smirked. “Don’t tempt me, Will.”

“I want you to lie down”, Hannibal ordered. "I can’t enter you in this position.”

Will complied and lay flat on his belly. Hannibal straddled his legs and he knelt between his legs, stroking his own cock.

When he had pumped his cock enough , ready to enter him, he pulled Will closer to him until his butt was in the right position for Hannibal to enter.He stretched his hole just a little with one finger for a minute and slammed into his ass with brute force.

He purred and closed his eyes as his engorged cock breached into his slick, warm and tight hole, feeling the tightness of his ass. It felt so good. Will was perfect. 

Will whimpered and grunted as the violent thrusts pounded against his prostate, causing Winston to look at him in worry and jump at the end of the bed, intending on biting into Hannibal's leg to pull him away.

"Your dog seems to think you're suffering", Dr. Lecter assessed in an amused tone, flinging a glance over his shoulder.

Will tilted his head over his shoulder and searched for Winston behind him until he found his eyes.

"Winston, stop." Will demanded in a shaky voice and whistled once more to shoo him away.

Winston, hearing the sharp whistle and command, retreated from Hannibal a little and pushed himself to the bottom right corner of the bed, still watching, intrigued and distrustful.

"Your canines and you have a very close relationship", Hannibal remarked, slamming into Will relentlessly, nearly pushing Will forward against the wall with every thrust.

"Yes, they've always been my friends when no one was there", Will hissed. "They're always watching me. Even when I was masturbating.”

Hannibal chuckled. “You like that they’re watching, don’t you?”

Will grunted in agreement. His lover thrust particularly hard against his prostrate.

"Oh fuck, Hannibal, I need to cum. You're torturing me."

"I'm not letting you cum like that, Will", Hannibal threatened and pulled out without a warning, eliciting a protesting groan from Will. "I want to see the look in your eyes and on your face when you do."

He halted for a moment, massaging his ass again, feeling the slickness of his puckered hole with one of his fingers. "Turn around, Will", Hannibal ordered. 

Will obeyed without a further protest and laid on his back, spreading his legs wide open for Hannibal, looking all debauched and wanton in his position. 

Hannibal expertly dragged one leg over his shoulder, the other one he wrapped around his hip. In this position he could hit his prostate even harder. 

He slammed into him again, watching Will's widened and dilated eyes at the hard thrusts and movements of his body.

"Do you like being fucked by the Chesapeake Ripper, Will? Do you like the power he has over you?" Hannibal asked, panting heavily. 

"Yes...yes", Will gasped. He was a sweaty and bloody mess. The sheet beneath him was stained with the blood of his back. 

Hannibal smiled a devilish smile. He was close to orgasm as well and quickened his thrusts. The bed beneath him continued to creak menacingly as if it would break any second but he ignored it. He could buy Will another one - a much better one which would be healthier for his spine.

Will's body was relentlessly pushed into the mattress and his hazed eyes rolled back into his eye sockets. 

"Cum for me, Will", Hannibal whispered and he reached his climax with a groan and tremble, filling the condom with a large amount of semen. But he still thrust into Will, not stopping, not yielding.He smiled down at Will, feeling triumphant and victorious over the moral submission of the agent, revelling in his melodic gasps, resounding like an angel's voice in his ears.

Will cried out loudly as he came and he painted Hannibal's abdomen with his thick, hot stripes of cum. He quivered and jerked, his legs shaking and kicking into the air. The dogs raised their heads again and Winston yelped a little, cocking his head as the volume of his whimpers increased. 

Hannibal twitched when his own climax rushed through his body like a giant wave crashing against the rocks. When the moment had passed, he pulled out, removed the condom, dropped it on the floor and laid himself next to Will who shifted his eyes towards him, tired out but pleased.He dragged Hannibal closer and kissed him on his mouth.

"Happy birthday, Will", Hannibal purred into his mouth between the long and wanton kisses. "I hope you liked the gift."

"Thank you, Hannibal." Will muttered against his mouth. "That was fantastic."

Hannibal cupped his cheek into his hand. "You're welcome, Will", he purred. His maroon eyes drowned in his lover's storm blue ocean. He kissed his stubble and sucked on his chin.Will seemed to contemplate something he noticed when observing him and his pensive facial expression from above. 

"Something's bothering you, Will." Hannibal pointed out, while he pulled Will into his strong arms where he lingered, revelling in the warmth of his body.

"I was just thinking..I don't want that to be just a gift for my birthday. I want to have sex again and again with you." Will admitted, tilting his head to face Hannibal with a smile. "I don't do affairs or one-night stands."

Hannibal chuckled but he grew contemplative as well and the ambiance changed once more into a serious one.

"Will", he began, after some moments of silence. "You know what our life is going to be like. How I am." He paused, while stroking Will's hair. "You could have a normal life, far away from me. I would leave you alone." He lowered his head. "Are you sure of this?”

Will nuzzled into his shoulder and gazed into his eyes with a languished sigh leaving his lips. With his fingers he lifted Hannibal's chin again."Hannibal,I know what I'm doing.I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You're the only one who understands and accepts me for who I am. I want you and accept the risks for being together with a cannibal.” 

Hannibal granted him a genuine, loving smile. He had never been a happier man and promised to himself he would do everything to make his beloved Will Graham happy. He smooched him and brushed his nose against Will's.

Winston jumped from the bed as he realized his owner was safe and not under attack. Together with the other dogs he retreated to the pillows on the other side of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be an epilogue of sorts.  
I hope you enjoyed reading this short fic!  
Comments are wholeheartedly welcome!
> 
> 😘


	3. Dessert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal have sex again and get interrupted by seemingly unexpected visitors - Bev, Brian, Jimmy, Alana and Margot. Hannibal also has another surprise for Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the last main chapter. 
> 
> Forgive me the grammar and spelling mistakes. I wrote the chapter very quickly to finish at least one of my WIPs. The whole thing is not beta’d.
> 
> After that there may be an epilogue with the proposal and wedding, depending on my muse, but the main “story”is complete. If you’re interested, I’ll write that epilogue. Let me know :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it :)

[](https://imgbb.com/)

“Ready for another round?“ Will asked Hannibal with an impish smile. They both cuddled and rested on the bed in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He rested his chin on Hannibal’s chest and looked up. “Because I could fuck again.” He raised his head from his shoulder to plant a soft kiss on his lover’s lips. Hannibal beamed up at him with an equal amused look in his glowing eyes and he caressed his cheeks. “Certainly. But shouldn’t I take care of your wounds first, Will?” He asked him with a concerned look at his back. “The cuts are superficial, aren’t they?” Will said to him, giving him another kiss. “Yes, but they still may get infected,” Hannibal replied.

“Oh doctor..” Will moaned against his lips; chuckling. “You may treat me later on.” 

“Will”, Hannibal began, still worried, but he silenced him with his mouth.

He cupped Hannibal’s head into his hands and kissed him fervently, pouring all his longing, his ache for Hannibal into his kiss. He dragged Hannibal into the sheets and this time it was Will hovering about him, kissing Hannibal’s naked body. Hannibal watched him and let him do the work, for now, enjoying the current position.

Moans escaped his mouth while Will hunkered down to his crotch and licked around his cock with his tongue and worked him with his hands, occasionally throwing a glance at Hannibal making sure he would enjoy it.

“Does it feel good, Doctor?” Will purred in between, playing with his cock and balls in his hands. 

“Oh yes”, Hannibal groaned. “Please go on, my darling,” Will answered with a hum and he took his cock into his mouth, licking it, sucking at it. One hand grabbed the bottle of lube and spread some liquid on it before carefully inserting a finger into Hannibal’s hole.

“I thought that I should spoil you today”, Hannibal hissed in between his moans and satisfied grunts, smiling down at Will, ruffling through his curls.

Will halted for a moment, causing Hannibal to grunt in frustration and grinned mischievously at him. “What makes you so sure you won’t ?” He let his cock out of his mouth with an obscene smacking sound and let it rest against his chin while talking to his lover. “What makes you sure this is how it ends?” Will continued, massaging his balls with slower movements.

“I can’t be sure when it comes to you, Will”, Hannibal chuckled and hissed.“ Your actions today astonished me a lot, my boy.” 

Will savored the taste of Hannibal’s cock like chocolate candy and he closed his eyes. Licking and sucking at his dick and enjoying the salty taste of his arousal was like dessert for him.

“Will”, Hannibal panted, while pulling at one lose rebellious curl falling into his face. His legs trembled and kicked while Will accelerated his movements again .”I’m going to cum soon, darling, if you keep up this pace.” Will stopped, giving him a big smile and crawled back until he hovered above Hannibal who looked up at him in amusement and cupped his hips with his hands.

“No, that would spoil the fun”, Will answered, raising his eyebrows. “Won’t let you come like that so easily.

Hannibal chuckled and pulled Will closer to him. One of his hands wandered down to Will’s cock and returned the favour, eliciting shivers and grunts from Will. “Do you want to ride me, Will?” 

“Yes, Doctor. I wanna milk you”, Will whispered into his ear. He retreated and carefully lowered himself on Hannibal’s cock, still stretched from the intrusion of the wild sex before. Will gasped as Hannibal’s hard cock penetrated him again without mercy and he started moving his hips.

Soon Will was throwing his head back and moaning out loud just like before. He rode him, first slowly then faster. Before long, Hannibal surprised Will and pulled him down into the sheets, fucking into him again, causing some boards of the bed frame to finally erode and partially break but they continued as if nothing had happened. 

A dense vapor fogged the window on the left, so intense was their sex. The dogs appeared on the bedside again, nudging, peeking up, their paws tainting the sheets with remaining crumbs of dirt. They were driven mad by the amount of testosterone in the air and barked.

Will and Hannibal continued,ignoring everything around them and writhed around in the sheets. They didn’t need to talk to know what they wanted to do. Both of them were so connected and attuned to each other already that they sensed what the other particularly enjoyed and adjusted their position, switching from top to bottom, trying out various angles.

In the precise moment when Will was riding Hannibal again, whimpering while his lover pushed his hips up to thrust hard and fast against his sensitive prostate and Will was ecstatic, they didn’t hear two cars pulling up in the drive before the house or the several timid knocks at the door.

Hannibal was rocking and supporting Will’s hips with his hands and they held their gaze, enthralled by the intense feeling of the sex. They were so immersed into their lovemaking and didn’t care about anyone, about the dogs or the voices of the visitors outside.

“I love you”, Will whimpered as he shuddered in his orgasm and emptied himself once more over Hannibal’s chest.

“I love you, too ”, Hannibal groaned, lookin equally ecstatic and he pulled at Will to give him another wanting kiss while he thrust a few times before his hips stilled. Tears were in his eyes and Will kissed them away. 

Another loud bang and a call made them flinch and to Will’s horror Beverly, Brian and Jimmy were peeking through the steamed window. Beverly seemed surprised but gave him a knowing and approving smile. Brian and Jimmy merely looked in amusement at each other before grinning back at Will and Hannibal, gesturing with their hands for them to open the door.

Will blushed, Hannibal raised his eyebrows, smirked and Will cursed under his breath. “What on earth...” He hastily retreated from the bed, careful not to step on the broken pieces of ceramic or the puddle of cold coffee on the floor.

“It seems your plan of ignoring your colleagues has not gone so well”, Hannibal stated with a nonchalant smile and did the same. Will threw a grey towel at him from his wardrobe to help him remove the stains of semen and sweat. A shower was needed but they didn’t have the time. 

“You didn’t know by accident that any of them would come over, Doctor ?” Will asked him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion but the corners of his mouth betrayed amusement at the blatant sins of omission.“You didn’t tell me the truth.”

“Yes”, Hannibal admitted while cleaning himself and struggling to put on his slacks on his damp legs, “but our afternoon took a different turn, so I did not have time to answer their messages and delay it. I am sorry. We all had planned a surprise in advance, assuming you wouldn’t like to be ambushed.”

Will sighed and exhaled, shaking his head, while he quickly put on his khaki shirt, a fresh pair of boxers and his denim jeans.

Once they got dressed, Will and Hannibal opened the door to greet their visitors, completely forgetting about the mess they had caused and the corpus delicti on the bed and floor. Just when Will opened the door, he was surprised by the complete forensic team crew and Alana and Margot standing in front of him with serene smiles on their flushed faces.

“Happy birthday to you...“all of them sang in unison, grinning and holding wrapped presents in their gloved hands.

Margot, standing next to Alana, smiled in understanding at catching a quick glimpse at Will’s and Hannibal’s messy hair, the flushed cheek, the bite and love marks on their throats and the hastily buttoned shirts and open zipper of their slacks but she quickly steered her sight away.

Alana frowned a little when she looked from Hannibal to Will and took in the hints of a wild afternoon, a little bit disapproving of the fact that Hannibal slept with Will, his unofficial patient. Margot grabbed her hands, when Alana kept staring at them for a minute, not being so subtle about it. “Don’t stare and judge”, she said in her smokey voice. “That’s rude. Take it easy.”

”Isn’t that what you have been doing?” Alana retorted, slightly offended, but granting her fiancée an amused smile.

”There are several ways of looking without looking..”, Margot whispered.

They both stopped when Beverly gave them a nudge with her elbows. 

“Oh hi”, Will finally said, rubbing his neck and trying to cover bis bite marks with the collar of his shirt after noticing their glares. “Thanks for coming. I see I get lots of surprises today. Kind of nice of you to stop by. “

Will then gazed around , searching for Jack who luckily didn’t seem to be with them. The weight and worry crumbled off him and he was truly relieved. God knew, how the agent would have reacted. He‘d rather not imagine.

“Where‘s Jack?“ Will asked, furrowing his eyebrows, rubbing his hands to warm himself, shivering, as it was still a cold winter’s day and didn’t wear a coat.

“Jack is otherwise occupied with his wife. He spends the afternoon at home but he told me to give you his congratulations.“ Alana replied with a faint, polite smile tugging on her lips. "I must say it is a surprising turn of events indeed”, she assessed, looking directly at Hannibal, at his messy and ruffled bangs hanging in front of his face. He simply granted her a fond smile, not being ashamed of what he had done. “I agree”, he said. “Good to see you, Alana and Margot.” He kissed the hands of both women and they smiled as he played the gentleman.

“Honestly, Will, just read and answer your freaking messages”,’Beverly scolded Will with a reproachful grin on her face. "Jack freaked out because you didn’t pick up the phone or didn’t answer any his messages. He thought he’d have to send the SWAT team to your place.”

“I was a bit preoccupied”, Will excused himself with a sheepish smile. But in fact he didn’t want to talk to Jack at all and be dragged into a conversation about the progress on current cases at his birthday.

“We saw that”, Jimmy stated with a wink in his eyes, giggling like a teenager.

Hannibal gazed at Will, concerned that their guests were shivering in the cold, moving their legs to not turn into ice sculptures. “It is rude to let your guests wait in the cold , Will.” He chastised him, gripping his shoulder tightly.

“Yeah, we’ve been waiting here a little while until you two have finished up ”, Brian remarked with a slightly annoyed tone in his voice.

Will’s face darkened a little bit at Brian’s comment. He soon found his composure but chose to ignore him, knowing what Brian always said to him when they worked together in the morgue.

“I am sorry”, Will said to the rest, pushing himself to the side to let them enter. “Come on in but my home is a mess.” 

He invited them in with his hands, allowing them to enter the house. Everyone took a glance around at the chaos on the floor and the trails of dirt by the dogs. Will quickly grabbed their coats as they stripped them off and put them on the wooden rack. The rest of the coats and bags he placed on the only available plush arm chair next to the dogs.

“Don’t bother”, Beverly said with a grin when she quickly embraced him. “I will help you clean up your mess while you two can take a proper shower.”

Margot giggled and Alana merely shook her head. “We need to talk about this, Hannibal”, she shot at him while they stood at the doormat. “It’s not good for your reputation sleeping with a patient. You’ll lose your license and career. Freddie will sniff it on you.”

“Don’t worry, Alana”, Hannibal answered with a smile. “I’ll refer him to Dr. Du Maurier.”

Alana nodded in agreement but still seemed a little baffled and worried, biting on her lips before Margot shot a rather telling glance at her. “Alright, Hannibal”, she finally relented, shrugging her shoulder when she felt Margot’s hot gaze on her. “It’s not my place to judge. As long as you are happy with each other, you won’t hear me saying a word to Jack.”

“We are very happy, thank you.” Hannibal said with a smile.”And I am grateful you spare me the trouble with Jack and the bureau.”

Alana returned his fond look with a playful smile. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad to hear that and that you found someone you can be happy with. You have been a bachelor long enough.” She smiled and Margot hugged her from behind, nosing her brown, wavy hair and enjoying her fragrance.

Hannibal gave her one of his intimate , appreciating smiles he had only shown Will before and he turned away, looking for a way to get busy and help the guests to make themselves comfortable.

Beverly meanwhile looked at the puddle of coffee on the floor, the broken plates, the dirty and messy sheets and let out a whistle. “You’ve been wild”, she said to Will standing next to her, appearing to be thoroughly amused.

Will blushed deeply red, bit on his teeth and looked away. Jimmy and Brian snickered in secret and tried not to look at each other to not burst into laughter. The dogs meanwhile ran around and sniffed at everyone, excited and curious.

“You do have lots of dogs, Will”, Margot remarked while allowing Harley and Max to scent mark her and jump into her lap.

“Yes, they’re my best buddies”, Will replied, glancing over his shoulder. "If you can’t trust people, you can trust them at least.”

"I can’t say I don’t agree”, Margot answered. Alana and her were petting the dogs. “I find it to be very helpful to cuddle with our own dog after all what Mason had done.”

”Luckily that’s in the past”, Hannibal said to Margot.

Margot’s smile faded away a little before the dogs tickled her and pulled her back into the present. 

Will pulled his face into a sympathetic smile before he joined Beverly.He wanted to pick up the pieces and clean up the mess but was interrupted by her.

“ As I said before, I got this”, she said, smiling. “Just take care of yourselves. You smell worse than a boar.” She remarked with a tease and a impish glow in her black eyes. “ Jimmy, Brian and I will help you.” She cast a glance at Jimmy and Brian who didn’t know what to do and stood there in the middle of the living room.

“Oh yeah, sure”, Jimmy answered with a wide smile. Brian merely rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Will, where are your cleaning tools?” She asked, turning around to search. When Will turned away from the stairs, she said “Don’t move. I’ll get them.” 

“They’re in a room upstairs”, Will replied. “I’ll show you.” She smiled and followed him upstairs.

He pointed to a door on the right where his cleaning tools and vacuumer were stored. “Here they are.” “Thank you”, she replied.

“You have to tell me everything about what happened”, she whispered with a grin. “How you came together.”

Will just smiled. “I’m not sure you want all the details, Bev.”

“Just give me the general picture then”, she grinned and opened the door to the tiny cramped room to look for the cleaning cloths, dirt bucket and a vacuum cleaner.

He lingered between the door and the small corridor, thinking for a moment before he answered .“Well, he came over, we ate cake together and then he asked me what my birthday wish was.“

Bev raised one of her eyebrows. "And what was your birthday wish?” 

“Just interpret the evidence”, Will retorted drily, raising his eyebrows.

Her jaw dropped and she let the small broomstick in her hand fall to the floor. “Wow, I didn’t think you were so bold. Way to go, Will.” Bev’s face was wore an approving grin.

”Now off into the shower with you”, she ordered him with a wink, grabbing the tools she found and turning on her heels.

“See you later”, he bowed out with an amused smile and closed the bathroom door behind him.

Beverly returned to the living room with the vacuum cleaner ,the dirt bucket and the cleaning cloths, handing them to Jimmy and Brian.

“Who would have thought we would be Wil Graham‘s private housecleaner squad?“ Brian remarked sarcastically, but he grabbed a brush and a dirt bucket from her hands after a warning stare.

Beverly shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, Brian. It’s not that you have to do this every day.“ 

"Luckily“, Brian sighed but went to work.

“I can’t wait to analyse the whole setting“, Jimmy grinned. "It’s heaven for forensic analysts.“

Bev laughed but Brian merely snorted at Jimmy‘s blatant curiosity to explore their sex life.

"Its not that you don’t know what they have been doing. It’s not a crime scene.” Brian commented.

"It is still interesting to see how they do things, you know. Maybe they can give us some tips on how to spice up our sex life”, Jimmy joked. Brian only glared at him and pressed his lips together.

Hannibal meanwhile, sensing that Will was taking a shower, tried to be the host and talked to Alana and Margot, entertaining them before helping the forensic squad with the cleaning. Later when the dogs whined, he searched for the dog food in Will’s fridge and fed them. 

Will returned from the shower, feeling refreshed and renewed. Having examined his scratches in front of the mirror, he decided they were not worthy to be tended to by Hannibal. He flung a last look into the mirror and found himself good-liking, tugging at his hair for one last time. He had even shaved his beard a little and tamed his hair. Only one curl hung loose.

Hannibal, smelling him, turned on his heels as he retreated from feeding the dogs and eyed him from head to toe.

“You look fantastic, mylimasis”, Hannibal replied with a smile, admiring him.

“Thanks. And thank you for feeding the dogs”, he purred and kissed him on the cheek.

Margot smiled at seeing them so close and intimate together.

“Aren’t they cute?” She said to Alana, mirroring their kiss.She tucked a brown wavy streak behind Alana‘s ear with love. “Sure they are”, Alana agreed, kissing Margot quickly on the mouth. "I didn’t think they would suit together.”

Brian cursed while he, Jimmy and Brian buzzed around the room, cleaning the floor and discarding the shards.

“Wait, why is there so much blood on the shard?” Brian frowned when he analysed the large shard Hannibal had used for his improvised knife play,lying on the bed. He wielded it in his hand. It was drenched in blood. Jimmy cast a dubious, telling glance at him. "And why was it lying in the bed?“

“Well, we all have our secrets, Brian”, Jimmy said with a grin. 

“You mean they…”, Brian said, his jaw dropping. 

“Oh my god.they’re kinky as fuck.” He remarked. He tossed it away with the condoms he found on the floor, putting it as far away as possible from him as he didn’t have any gloves on.

“We all have our kinks Brian”, Jimmy answered, beaming while he enthusiastically cleaned the floor where the plates and shards had shattered. “I surely don’t have to remind you 

Bev, eavesdropping and grinning to herself, exchanged the bed sheets with an amused look as she saw the bed frame had broken down on one side. She tossed the dirty covers and sheets into a laundry basket she found upstairs and got a fresh one from the wardrobe.

“They definitely damaged the bed”, she remarked with a grin.”I’d say that raises the bar for your lovemaking ”, she laughed, retreated from sight and helped Will with the coffee and rummaged in the shelf for some spare plates and mugs.

Brian and Jimmy peeked at Bev, at the bed and then at each other before they fell silent, shaking their heads.

After a while, Hannibal slowly walked down the stairs, wearing his slacks, his waist coat and the salmon shirt of Will underneath. 

Will who had been in the kitchen with Bev, Alana and Margot smiled when he smelled the aftershave and the bad shampoo on Hannibal.

“So you did use mine after all”, Will smirked, pressing a long kiss on his lips. “Can’t be that bad, then.”

“It is horrendous but it’s you”, Hannibal retorted, muttering against his lips. 

Will frowned. “Did you just insult me?” He pulled his lips back ad Hannibal wanted to kiss him again and pouted a little. 

”Take it as you will”, Hannibal answered nonchalantly, poking his nose against his. Will let out a dismissive noise and tickled Hannibal beneath his armpits. He flinched at the sensation. ”Oh, someone is ticklish”, Will smirked. Hannibal withdrew from him and protected his weak spot.

Bev had prepared the coffee in the kitchen and currently chatted with Alana and Margot, helping her with filling the coffee into the mugs and putting the slices on the plates.As soon as they had finished draping the cake pieces on the plate, she tore the new lover’s back I to reality.

“Hey, you two, love birds”, Bev grinned and clapped her hands, causing them to separate.

“Coffee and cake are ready. “

Will and Hannibal flinched and looked a little embarrassed. “I apologise for not helping”, Hannibal said.

Bev laughed. “It’s fine.” 

“Brian, Jimmy” she called into their direction. “There’s cake and coffee.”

They walked back to the kitchen counter where most of the group was standing and they grabbed a mug of coffee and a piece of the Black Forest cake each.

Everyone was silent while they took a sip from the coffee and enjoyed the cake. Will felt compelled to say something and he cleared his throat. 

“Listen”, he finally said. “I don’t know what to say because I didn’t expect this at all. Thanks everyone for the spontaneous visit. I do appreciate it.” 

Everyone beamed at him and cheered a little. Hannibal encouraged, his boyfriend by wrapping his arms around him from behind, after placing his plate on the table.

“I think it’s time for the presents” Bev said, looking at everyone in the kitchen. 

“Oh yes”, Alana said, going for her bag which she had put next to the rack. Margot followed her. Everyone did the same and searched for their presents they had put on the only free armchair or next to the wardrobe. 

“Guys, that’s not necessary”, Will protested. “You know I don’t need much.” 

“No, it is”, Bev countered. “It’s your birthday and you deserve the best “, she said.

“I have to agree”, Hannibal said to Will, giving him another kiss.

They came back and everyone handed Will their present.

Bev looked at her watch. “It’s better you unwrap the presents later, because we’re going to take you out tonight.”

Will’s jaw dropped. “Another surprise?” 

Bev smiled and looked at Hannibal behind him.

“Oh yes.”

“But the dogs..” Will began, but Bev shut him up.

“I’ve arranged it “, she said smoothly. “I’ve called your boarding kennel man and he’ll look after them.

“Come on, everyone”, she said looking at the group. “Let’s Go.

Everyone grabbed their coats and jackets and went outside. Hannibal took Will with his Bentley. They arrived soon, after a while, at Hannibal’s mansion.

“Hannibal”, Will said with a frown when he opened his door to let Will get out. “What is this?”

“Don’t ask. It would spoil the surprise.” He said smugly and gestured Will to enter.

“I thought you enjoyed if I cooked for you”, he mumbled when they entered and glanced at the staff who were waiting for them and handed them a glass of champagne. “Your favourite food”, he whispered. “I cooked some Cajun dishes for you. But no human meat today.” He smiled though he was tense and stiff, waiting for his approval.

Will sighed and kissed him again. “Oh, Hannibal”, he said. “I knew you would be involved in this and not consent to eating out.” Hannibal avoided his gaze for a moment but Will cupped his cheek and pulled his head towards him again. 

“I’m sorry..maybe I should have..” Hannibal started but Will silenced him by putting a finger on his mouth. “Shh, all good. I’m happy about it. Thank you for leaving your secret ingredient away for one single time, though and for giving me a break.“

”You‘re welcome, my love”, Hannibal purred and led Will into the vast room where jazz musicians were already setting up their instruments and playing some known jazz songs Hannibal knew Will would enjoy.

They had a pleasurable evening while sitting together in Hannibal’s dining room and foyer, drinking and enjoying the dishes the staff brought to the table.

And they danced. They danced in front of the guests who applauded and cheered to them while they whirled their bodies around to upbeat songs or they cuddled when the tune was romantic and the song slow.

When everyone had said their farewell and bid them goodnight with a wink and a dubious look, Hannibal and Will enjoyed another night full of pleasantries and were happy they put an end to their chase in a very unexpected way.


	4. Digestif (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised you a sappy ending. Here is is! :)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I loved writing it. 
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely comments and kudos!

  
“_O sole mio_” reverberated from the hi-fi speaker in Hannibal’s spacious kitchen and he whistled to the hymn while he was busy finishing his surprise. He was carefully decorating the cream-cake he had baked some hours ago with the fondant and smiled to himself when Will’s amused laughter permeated through the walls the living room who was currently talking with his guests Alana, Margot, Beverly, Brian, Jimmy, Jack and Bella Crawford.

Hannibal was sure Will would love the effort, seeing as he had loved his Black Forest cake last year and demolished it with a ferocious appetite. His thoughts wandered back to his last birthday where Will had surprised him with a statement that had thoroughly changed their lives.

They had moved into a large mansion Hannibal had bought in West Virginia. Will sold his own house in Wolf Trap Virginia after being in a relationship with him for merely six months.

No one was threatening their peace at the moment. Dr. Chilton had been framed as the Ripper and believed it himself after having been subjected to Hannibal’s therapy. While he wrote down the letters on his birthday cake, he smirked when this memory of Chilton’s incarceration crossed his mind. Will had done everything to convince Jack that his murders had been committed by Dr. Chilton and together they had planted the evidence in his home with Dr. Gideon and the policemen killed and mutilated. The other side of the coin was that he had to refrain from creating art of his victims. Now he only targeted victims society didn’t miss on Will’s request and used them all up, leaving no evidence behind. He was now following the Shrike’s design and no longer his. At least until dust had settled.

Winston and his pack were watching him with curious eyes while he put on the icing on the cake, careful not to destroy the fine letters.Occasionally he flung a glance at them, observing what they were doing and careful, not to stumble over them. While he had gotten quite attached to the dogs despite the mess they caused, he didn’t want them to spread dog hairs all over the kitchen or to damage anything valuable. “Please be good boys ”, Hannibal warned them with a smile. “You certainly don’t want to ruin our big plan, don’t you?” 

He put down the decorating tube and went to the fridge where he fetched the home made snacks Will’s dogs loved so much. The dogs jumped up at his lap, wagged their tails, pushed each corner away to get the best spot.

“No need to get jealous”, Hannibal scolded them but not without an amused look on his face. “There is enough of these sausages for everyone of you.” He led the lot away from the stainless table with the cake and towards a corner where he put the pieces of sausages into clean bowls.Loud barking and yelping filled the kitchen and the pack are his homemade dog treats very eagerly. 

Hannibal halted as Will’s voice drew closer. “I’ll be right back,”, Will called to his guests, coming dangerously near the kitchen. “I need to look what the dogs are up to now and why Hannibal is taking so long with the dessert."

Hannibal lost no time and opened the kitchen door where he nearly crashed with Will and bumped his head against his. "Ouch”, Will said, rubbing his temple, looking slightly offended. Hannibal quickly pressed a kiss on his forehead.

“Sorry my love”, he apologised with a soft purr and patted the part of Will’s head where he bumped into.

“Do you need something, my love?” Hannibal asked him when Will tried to peek through the kitchen. Hannibal didn’t allow it, effectively blocking the door. “No, ’m fine. Just wanted to see what is taking you so long and the dogs are doing in the kitchen.” Will remarked, eying him with suspicion and irritation.

“They were hungry”, Hannibal answered. “So I fed them some snacks.”

Will sighed. “You know you shouldn’t do that and let them into the kitchen. Winston and Jack are getting way too fat if you give in all the time.” He shot a reproachful glance at his lover but also planted a quick kiss on his mouth and smiled, being glad that Hannibal liked his dogs despite his initial difficulties to get accustomed to dog hairs, damaged furniture and dirt in their house. 

“Why don’t you serve the dessert already? Everyone’s asking. Jimmy and Brian are already getting drunk and it’s slowly getting out of control. Their jokes get worse minute by minute. Bev is getting desperate, too.” Will sighed again and shook his head, but looked amused nonetheless.

“I promise it won’t take long.” Hannibal reassured him, squeezing his hands. He let his eyes wander from top to bottom. Will really looked fantastic this night. Since they got together, Hannibal had made the decision for selecting his clothes for official appearances though he still had let him keep his flannel shirts and denim because he loved the simpler looks on him, too. He was wearing an expensive, tailored greyish tuxedo made of fine silk fabric.Underneath he wore a tight, light blue shirt matching his eye colour. For Hannibal’s sake he had put on a navy blue tie. At the whole, he looked dazzling.

“By the way, you look so luring; I could take you right here”, he purred and pinched Will’s ass through his fine silken black slacks.

Will gasped a little but he merely elevated his eyebrows a little, fluttered his eyelashes and said “Finish your dessert”,before he withdrew from his lover’s grip and walked back to the dining room, making sure to show off his booty while he walked.

Hannibal stared at his back for a while until one of the dogs brushed against his legs, escaping the kitchen and he returned to the table where the cake was waiting for his finishing touches.

Humming to himself he looked at the glacing. Everything was done. From another part of his well-organised kitchen he retrieved some candles which he placed carefully into the white heart-shaped cake with several layers of cream and strawberry filling.

When everything was accomplished, he removed his apron, tossed it aside and lit the wonder candle on the cake.He smiled to himself and got ready to serve it. He slipped the ring box with the platinum ring into his right pocket of his slacks.

Hannibal entered the living room and everyone was cheering, especially Brian and Jimmy who were tipsy already.

“About time that you come back to us”, Beverly grinned. 

A small cry left her lips when she saw the cake which caused Will to stop talking to Alana and Margot for a second and shift his gaze to Hannibal.

Will was looking to Hannibal holding the cake in his hand and his mouth hang wide open when he read the icing.

“Awww”, Alana said with a genuine smile on her lips, grabbing Will’s hand over the table. The latter was still in slight shock and blinked.

“That’s so sweet”, Margot remarked, looking from Hannibal to Will with a fond smile.

Hannibal approached the end of the table where Will sat, interrupting eye contact with his lover for a moment and placed the cake before Will.

“H-Hannibal”, Will managed to breathe out and the heat of embarrassment and joy spread on his cheeks. He cupped his own cheeks with his hands. Margot and Alana were stroking his arms, seemingly overwhelmed themselves.

Hannibal then went on his knees before Will, fetching the ring box out of his pocket, causing everyone to look at them in stunned silence. 

“Beloved”, Hannibal began, looking up from the floor to Will with love in his eyes. “Since the day I’ve met you for the very first time my heart had been aching for you.” He paused. A single tear ran down his cheek and Will wiped it away, smiling at him. “When you asked me last year on the same day whether I want to be your boyfriend, you made me the happiest man on earth.”

Hannibal put his hand on Will’s which trembled. Excitement rushed through both of them. While everyone cheered and cried “Awww”, especially Jimmy and Beverly, and applauded them, Will had only eyes for his lover and lost himself in the pools of maroon gleam of joy.

“Would you let me return the favour and make you happy, too ?” Hannibal then asked, beaming up at Will, fetching the ring box out of his pocket. 

“Of course, you idiot”, Will remarked with a big smile. “Yes is my answer to that.”

Hannibal withdrew the ring box and opened it. Two fine engagement rings made of the finest platinum lay embedded on velvet plush. The rings were beset with a silver jewel with tiny antlers engraved in it - the meaning only obvious to Will and Hannibal.

Hannibal slipped on the ring with careful hands and Will did the same. Both held eye contact, never wavering or yielding, drowning themselves in the vast oceans.

Will then pulled Hannibal up to him and he drew him into a soft, romantic kiss, expressing everything he felt for his fiancée. They pressed their foreheads together and shut the world out for some moments before they returned into reality again, having to tend to their guests after all. Everyone was standing up and approaching the couple at the end of the table.

“Congratulations”, Bev said with tears in her eyes, hugging Will for some moments. “Well done, Will”, she remarked with a fond smile.

Then everyone else and proceeded to embrace Will and Hannibal to wish them the best for the future. Even Jack Crawford and his wife Bella were there and congratulated them although he could not suppress a slightly reprimanding “But don’t let this influence your work at crime scenes, Will.”

It was an evening full of happiness and joy, as lighthearted as it could be - a safe space for the guests, a distraction to forget the murders and the abhorrent crime scenes. Everyone raised and clinked their wine glasses, savouring the sweet treat Hannibal had prepared for his fiancé.

* * *

**Another year later**

**Cappella Palatina, Palermo**

Wedding bells were ringing in the magnificent chapel in Palermo, Italy. The piazza in front of the chapel was empty, the service had already begun and the guests were already inside except for one person - the groom. There were only few guests, just some selected local socialites Hannibal had invited to make up for Will as he missed Bev and Alana. Anthony Dimmond, Professor Sogliato, his wife and some others from the opera house were sitting in the front rows of the impressive cathedral. The middle and last rows were empty. A rather private ceremony to not draw attention of the local authorities - an ostentatious one with many guests and acquaintances flown in would have aroused suspicion as Will had pointed out.

Both had not been able to maintain the cover and the lies for long, thus being forced to abandon the US together after Jack Crawford had found out about the framed murders, few months after the engagement. 

After some months of hiding and sticking to a low profile, covering their tracks, they had now been able to marry at the civil registry office in Palermo, Italy a day ago.

Hannibal had insisted on a marriage in a church he had always wanted to visit again. The Norman chapel with the skulls engraved into the floor, reminding everyone of their mortality was the one that fascinated him the most. When he showed it to Will after their arrival , he quickly agreed. He was fascinated by the fresco engraved in the floor and the fine, golden mosaics of all the biblical figures spread throughout the church.

Hannibal was standing in front of the altar, his eyes fixed on Jesus Pantocrator watching over him from the altar, impatiently waiting for his beloved to enter. The priest tugged at his robe and looked a little bored and not pleased he had to perform a same-sex marriage in the most famous and beautiful chapel of Palermo.

He was already thinking of how to marinate him in the most delicious way. His thighs slow-cooked in a simmering wine-reduction perhaps. Or The only thing that kept him from doing it was his husband-to-be.

While most priests kept calming the excited grooms with a knowing smile, the old priest did nothing of such and kept his distance. So Hannibal closed his eyes and calmed himself down, trying to suppress the worry that Will would run away or that Jack Crawford burst through the doors and seize him.

The organ player started to play the reverend anthem. Hannibal had opted for “Ave Maria” as the song to be played when Will was entering the foyer of the church, being the traditionalist he was. When the light, vibrating voice of the soprano set in the first lines, everyone got up and gazed at Will stepping through the doors.

Hannibal turned around, his eyes teary at the beautiful hymn echoing through the church and held his breath when he watched Will walk towards the aisle in his marine blue silken three-piece suit. The slacks and jacket perfectly accentuated his beautiful body. His dark brown curly hair was groomed, neatly combed back. Once again, a single strand of his curls hung loose and Hannibal smiled, as he loved that curl of seduction a lot. He wore his beard longer now, to look different.

Rose petals rained down from the open pit in the ceiling. The corners on Will’s mouth twitched when he witnessed it and he slightly raised one eyebrow, a smug grin tugging on his lips when he drew nearer with each step and raised his eyes to the ceiling.

Hannibal guessed his thought in an instant - “_ Did it have to be that dramatic, Hannibal?” _ He smirked and Will granted him a genuine, wide smile. They needed no words to communicate.

He inhaled his aftershave - he had used his atrocious one instead of the expensive one and Hannibal smiled openly at him as a playful, knowing glow appeared in the bluish-green eyes.

Will finally reached the aisle and Hannibal held his breath. The guests sat down after the music ended and the priest had started his speech. Both did not pay much attention. They rather lost themselves in the eyes of each other. Feeling how nervous Hannibal was, Will smiled at him and squeezed his hand. 

A sacred silence filled the vast church while Hannibal and Will slipped on the rings and the guests glanced at them with tears in their eyes. Despite the changed laws, it was still rare for same-sex couples to be married in a church, even in Europe.

“.._ Nel nome del Padre, del Figlio e dello Spirito Santo... vi dichiaro marito e….marito..”, _the priest ended his drawn out speech about the importance of marriage, of love, using religious metaphors and gestured Hannibal and Will to kiss, avoiding their gazes.

The priest didn’t say that they may kiss just like he would say in any other wedding, but they didn’t care anyway. Hannibal cupped Will’s face into his hands and kissed him tenderly, slowly. He drew out the kiss to eternize this sacred moment. The earth stopped moving in this very moment for them both. Nothing else, no one else mattered to them right now - neither the disapproving priest or the sobbing and whispering guests.When their lips separated, Will let out a breathy laugh and said in a hushed, quiet voice, looking deeply into the glistening, soft amber eyes: “It’s beautiful.”

* * *

THE END 


End file.
